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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28514325">Not who you want me to be</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alchemist14/pseuds/Alchemist14'>Alchemist14</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Musketeers (2014)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:35:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>831</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28514325</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alchemist14/pseuds/Alchemist14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a short idea about Athos and his relationship with his family.</p>
<p>I found this on an abandoned old memory stick and thought I would share it, enjoy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not who you want me to be</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Olivier Athos De La Fere get back here now, I have not finished speaking with you!” The Comte De La Fere barked angrily at the retreating back of his eldest son.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The young man spun on his booted heel to face his father, pale cheeks flushed an angry pink, hair dishevelled and fists clenched tightly by his sides. “I am afraid father that I have nothing more to say to you, we are done here”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the shocked silence that followed that exclamation, the tall white doors of the ballroom the two men were standing in creaked open slowly to reveal a miniature version of the elder man. “Father, Brother. I thought I heard your voices in here, is everything alright?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Now Olivier, see how well your brother comports himself, if only you were more like him then - ”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well I’m sorry father but I will never be like Thomas the golden boy!” he cried bitterly, feeling tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, “I am me! That is all I can be, just plain old Olivier, bad at diplomacy, bad at socialising, bad at pretty much everything that is necessary for being a comte and even worse, I am nothing pleasant to look at as you love to remind me!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Athos” the younger boy cried, distress at his elder brothers words clear on his face as he went to take his arm. “Don’t say such things about yourself”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Athos yanked his arm from his siblings hold, clenching one leather clad hand into a fist and averting his eyes from the hurt look on Thomas’ face. “Don’t touch me” he murmured.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Olivier honestly, cease this wretched behaviour at once, take a leaf from Thomas’ book and comport yourself as a proper Comte should”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then make Thomas Comte de la Fere and not me!” Athos yelled, voice cracking from the effort, “we all know he would do a much better job! Save the family the shame, yourself the effort and me the humiliation!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>‘Olivier you are behaving like a hysterical child, you know that cannot be done.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But it can father” the older man was taken aback by the sudden change in his son’s demeanour, gone was the fiery rage of a moment before, replaced by cold, emotionless reason “if Thomas were your only heir then he could inherit the title without any problems.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Olivier you cannot be serious”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh but I am father, deadly serious” while he spoke he crossed the room once more to stand before the current Comte, eyes staring unerringly into the other’s “you have two options as I see it, either disown me or kill me, right here and now. Frankly I would welcome the latter” he spat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A deafening crack resounded throughout the cavernous room, a shocked gasp almost lost as soon as it left Thomas’ lips. Athos choked a little on his own breath, his own shocked exhale ripped from his throat as his head snapped to the left from the force of the blow his father’s hand delivered to his cheek.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fighting back the tears that pooled in his eyes and threated to overflow like a waterfall, Athos straightened and glared at his father. “I’ll take that as your answer, sir” he bit out through gritted teeth and stormed his way from the room and then the house itself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Athos, Athos wait. Athos please!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?” he roared, spinning to face the smaller boy who had come racing after him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thomas flinched back, another set of blue eyes welling up as he saw the tears cascading down his older brother’s cheeks. “Please Athos, don’t leave me here” he begged tearfully.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sorry Tom,” brushing the tears from his own eyes, Athos pulled his beloved baby brother into a tight hug, feeling the slim shoulders shudder with harsh sobs and his shirt front begin to become damp. “I, you have to understand Tom, I can’t live like this any longer, its killing me. But none of this has anything to do with you okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But you just said” he began to protest but Athos cut him off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No Tom. The only one at fault here is father, you have done nothing wrong and I love you so, so much. That will never change, I promise you.” He gently brushed the tears from the youngers eyes with his thumbs and gave him a gentle smile, “no matter how far I go or where I end up, I will always be within reach, one letter, one word on a scrap of paper and I will be there for you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Squaring his shoulders Athos turned and strode away across the grounds, steeling himself to ignore the bitter sobs of his baby brother behind him, knowing that he was the cause, but that he could do nothing to fix it without damning himself to a life of misery. So, he set his jaw in a grimace, saddled his horse and rode away to a new life wherever that may be.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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